


You Are Not Immune To Bokuto Kotarou

by 21tales



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Gen, Post Time Skip, a result of RPing on twitter hopefully it makes sense without context, akaashi is tired, an unlikely friendship? maybe, based on the hc that akaashi used to be tenma's editor, bokuto is a pro player and tenma is Afraid, udai tenma meets bokuto kotaro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 07:08:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23347465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/21tales/pseuds/21tales
Summary: udai tenma returns home to find his editor and a pro volleyball player waiting for him at the door.[ haikyuu manga spoilers | post time-skip ]
Relationships: Udai Tenma & Akaashi Keiji, Udai Tenma & Bokuto Koutarou
Comments: 10
Kudos: 69





	You Are Not Immune To Bokuto Kotarou

**Author's Note:**

> a little context: mangaka udai tenma (who doesn't have a Lot of friends) is scared of loud, energetic people. he has been avoiding meeting bokuto for months now until his editor, akaashi, decides to bring bokuto over to tenma's place.

Tenma gulps and takes in a deep breath. He slowly opens the door to his apartment, and sure enough, the enormous, loud presence of Bokuto Kotarou blasts in his face.

“Udai Tenma-sensei-san!!!”

Bokuto is right in front of the entry, bouncing up and down like a child despite being twice Tenma’s size. The mangaka expected him to be inside, but he supposes this is totally like Bokuto Kotarou, to wait for Tenma right at the door. He gulps again, finding Bokuto’s gleaming eyes a bit too overwhelming. He fights against the terrifying amount of energy the volleyball player is emitting and closes the door behind him.

“Just...Tenma...is fine,” he croaks as the door shuts.

“Tenma-sensei-san!!! You’re back!”

Tenma laughs nervously. “I’m home. Sorry to keep you waiting.” 

“You’re quieter than you look!”

_ And you are so. Loud.  _ “Yeah…”

He’s never seen the pro player in casual clothes, who’s wearing a black jacket over a white t-shirt, and black jeans. Behind Bokuto, is Akaashi Keiji in his dull blazer and trousers, standing in front of the hallway leading to Tenma’s room. His hands are behind his back, an unreadable expression behind his glasses.

“Why did you leave?” Bokuto asks. “I thought Akaashi informed you that we were coming! Pretty rude to leave, yeah?”

“Oh, I, uh...” Tenma makes sure to throw a cold glance at his editor and then puts on his best pretense at a smile. “I went to buy ramen,” he says, and lifts the hand holding a bag. “It’d be pretty rude to not serve my guests, right?”

Bokuto starts radiating even more energy at the mention of ramen, if that was even possible. “You’re so thoughtful, sensei!” His round eyes seem to be  _ sparkling _ , but Tenma could’ve well imagined it.

“Just Tenma is fine…”

Bokuto offers to take the bag from him as Tenma removes his shoes and before he even starts to enter his own home, Bokuto is headed to the kitchen. Akaashi follows him in, though not before witnessing Tenma flip the bird at him, which Akaashi promptly ignores.

“Where are the bowls, Akaashi?”

“Right there, Bokuto-san.”

“Ah! You’re right!”

Tenma puts his shoes to the side. Taking in a deep breath, he steps inside. Being exposed to Bokuto Kotarou at this proximity is like being exposed to the summer sun. 

“Well, he certainly feels at home,” he mutters to himself. His kitchen is a mess, but he’s hardly one to feel embarrassed by that. He didn’t invite them after all. Maybe he should’ve stayed outside and waited for all this to blow over.

“Your place is very messy, sensei!” Bokuto says as he comes out from the kitchen carrying bowls. Tenma is about to begin with his recital of excuses, but Bokuto continues, “I’ve heard that mangaka are very busy. I’m amazed with your work, sensei!!”

Tenma’s lips remain parted for a moment. “Th...thank you,” he manages to say but Bokuto is already bouncing his way towards the dining table. Akaashi eyes Tenma being speechless and huffs. Tenma flips him off again.

“All Akaashi talks about is work,” Bokuto says after they’ve set up the table and they’re all having ramen. “I wanted to see you for so long! Making manga sounds very cool.”

Tenma straightens up and clears his throat. “Yeah. It is pretty cool.” It is these rare moments when Tenma likes his profession. “Have you read my manga?”

“Nope! Not at all!”

Akaashi stifles a laugh.

Tenma tries his best to keep his disappointment from showing on his face. “Oh, I suppose that’s fine,” he says.  _ It’s okay,  _ he tells himself. He can’t expect everyone to be familiar with his work. “Maybe you can read it someday.”

“I don’t like zombies!”

“Oh.”  _ This guy could qualify as a shonen protagonist as he is.  _ “Well, my main characters don’t like zombies either!” Tenma laughs but Bokuto doesn’t join. Feeling awkward, he stops laughing and slurps on his ramen again.

“Tenma-san, is the manuscript ready?” Akaashi finally speaks up.

“Tch.”

“What?”

“I said, yes,” Tenma groans, “it’s ready. I made the edits you suggested.”

“Oh, oh!” Bokuto jerks up, putting down his chopsticks. “I wanna see! I wanna see how you make manga!”

“It’s a long process, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi explains. “You’ll only be seeing the finished thing today.”

“No, it’s okay.” Tenma gets up from his chair with his now-empty bowl. “I can show you some drafts I’ve been working on for the next chapter.”

“Really?” Bokuto’s eyes light up. He’s forgotten about his ramen at this point.

“You’ve been working  _ extra _ ?” Akaashi says, subtly impressed.

“Shut up, Keiji.”

The entire time Tenma works Bokuto through the process of drafting, storyboarding, colouring, and working on the manuscript, Bokuto is surprisingly quiet, only speaking up when he has questions. His hands are behind his back and he’s careful not to touch anything, leaning over the table from behind Tenma’s chair. Akaashi is seated on the couch, reading through the finished manuscript.

“You do all this work by yourself?” Bokuto asks when Tenma is done explaining. “It looks a bit much to me.”

“No, no.” Tenma waves him off. “I have two assistants to help me with different things. Mostly backgrounds and toning.”

“Oh, thank goodness! It’d be torture to do all this by yourself.”

_ It’s torture regardless,  _ Tenma thinks but keeps it to himself. “Yeah. We make do.”

“And Akaashi?” Bokuto asks again. “What does he do?”

“Be a pain in my ass.”

“Huh?”

Akaashi clears his throat from behind them in an exaggerated manner, causing Tenma to click his tongue. “I make sure his manga doesn’t get cancelled,” the editor says. “I have to be a bit stern sometimes, and Tenma-san doesn’t like it. But that’s my job.”

“Is that right?” Bokuto turns back to Tenma. 

“Yeah,” Tenma grumbles. “He looks over the manuscripts to make sure there aren’t any mistakes and helps with brainstorming. His ideas suck, though.”

“No, they do not,” Akaashi calls out.

“They do. He’s boring.”

Bokuto laughs. “Yeah! Sometimes he is.”

“Bokuto-san...”

“See!” Tenma yells out. “You get it!”

“I get it! He’s all,  _ No, Bokuto-san you can’t do this,  _ and,  _ No, Bokuto-san I won’t wear this.  _ He’s no fun sometimes!”

“I can be fun.” Akaashi protests quietly.

Tenma jumps down from his chair. “Yes! And he’ll sometimes be,  _ No Tenma-san, you can’t make your character do this,  _ and,  _ No Tenma-san, you can’t make your villain purposefully sexually attractive.  _ He’s no fun!”

“That sucks! Finally someone who understands!” Bokuto claps his hands together. “And here he was telling me how reckless and unlikable you are! You’re actually so cool, sensei!”

“And you’re pretty cool yourself, Bokuto Kotarou!”

They both shake hands and laugh, as Bokuto pats Tenma’s shoulders (it hurts a little, but Tenma doesn’t mind).

“You both suck,” Akaashi says, and goes back to reading the manuscript.

* * *

Bokuto later decides to pick up the first volume of  _ Zombie Knight Zom’bish  _ while Tenma and Akaashi work on the manga. However, Bokuto’s attention dwindles within half an hour and he’s soon playing Resident Evil on Tenma’s PS4. Akaashi gives Tenma some instructions and then joins his friend to kill zombies. Bokuto is very loud but strangely, Tenma doesn’t mind anymore. At least he’s warming up to the zombies.

Tenma never thought it would come to this point, but he feels as though he was intimidated by this loud, owl-looking man for no reason. 

If anything, it seems like he’s found a friend in him. 

(And a new fan. He’s mostly happy about finding a new fan.)

  
  
  


**END**

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> so this was extremely self indulgent...


End file.
